One in five women surveyed report that they experience problems and disincentives relating to their participation in electronic conferences which are hosted on these lists. This paper aims to investigate the extent of the different rates of involvement between women and men and to explore some of the reasons for women's greater reluctance to take part in electronic discussions of this type. The findings are based on an initial exploratory survey of subscribers to six e-conferences focussing on water supply and sanitation issues. It provides learning points for those engaged in e-conference management and for the design of women-friendly e-conferences.